‘McLeod’s Daughters’ actor Rachael Carpani dies “unexpectedly but peacefully” at 45
Australian actor Rachael Carpani has died aged 45.
Carpani, who appeared in NCIS: Los Angeles, McLeod’s Daughters and the long-running Australian soap opera Home and Away, passed away on December 7th.
She had battled privately with chronic illness, according to her family, who chose not to reveal her exact cause of death.
In a statement, her family said, “It is with great sadness that Tony and Gael Carpani announce that their beautiful daughter, beloved Australian actress Rachael Carpani, unexpectedly but peacefully passed away after a long battle with chronic illness, in the early hours of Sunday 7th December.”
The Carpani family also confirmed, “The funeral will be a private event, to be held on Friday 19th December with close family and friends.”
They concluded their heartfelt message by writing, “The family requests privacy at this very difficult time and will be making no further statements.”
Carpani made her name in the hit Australian drama series, McLeod’s Daughters, starring as Jodi Fountain for eight years between 2001 and 2008. However, she then left Australia in order to attempt to make a career in the United States, and had to start from scratch.
While in the US, Carpani appeared in NCIS: Los Angeles, as well as The Glades, Against the Wall, and a number of television movies, as well as the 2020 movie, The Way Back, starring Ben Affleck.
She eventually returned to Australia, landing a recurring role as Claudia Salini in Home and Away in 2024.
Matt Passmore, who starred alongside Carpani in McLeod’s Daughters and was also her romantic partner for a number of years, led the tributes, writing on social media, “Farewell my friend. All the love I have to the Carpanis, friends and family. The greatest gift you gave was knowing you.”
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